Such an inactive gas introducing facility for a storage rack introduces inactive gas into a container that stores substrates (for example, semiconductor wafers) in order to reduce adherence of particles to the substrates, and to reduce deterioration of the substrates from their proper state due to the presence of oxygen and humidity.
More specifically, as the inactive gas is introduced from a gas feed opening of the container that stores the substrates, gas in the container is discharged into the storage space through a gas discharge opening etc., so that the space within the container is filled with the introduced inactive gas. Thus, adherence of particles to the substrates (for example, semiconductor wafers), and deterioration of the substrates from their proper state due to the presence of oxygen or humidity are reduced.
An example of an inactive gas introducing facility for a storage rack is one in which storage locations that are arranged in vertical and horizontal directions are provided to a box-shaped storage to function as storage sections, and in which each storage location is equipped with a gas supply line which supplies nitrogen gas that functions as the inactive gas. (For example, see JP Publication of Application No. 2001-338971 (Patent Document 1)).
In addition, although no detailed description is provided in Patent Document 1, the space within the box-shaped storage corresponds to the storage space which is closed off from the exterior. And nitrogen gas is discharged from the containers into this box-shaped storage.